Blue Call

I can't comprehend the generous rating that led me to watch this movie. At first it seemed pretty decent & I was rather amused by her hotheaded partner.

Then... people started doing & saying things that defied any sense of reality or logic, selling out any long held values or ethical reasoning left, right & center at the drop of a hat. Do not resuscitate.

After hearing about this film over the past few years through friends who worked on it, I was initially apprehensive about renting. In hindsight, I am very happy that I did. Citizen Kane this is not.... but there are some fascinating commentaries on the subjects of technology, grief, and assisted suicide. The film stars Katie Lecleric who is a paramedic suffering from PTSD and the traumas of her job. After a chance encounter with a patient, she acts as an angel of mercy to those who want nothing more that to die peacefully. Without providing too many spoilers, the film goes in to "Dexter" territory, and the ending is a bit rushed, but the film looks and sounds beautiful, and boasts a very impressive and experienced cast. It is to my understanding that this is an early effort of writer/director Brian Farmer, and it shows much potential. I will not go as far as to call it solid, but it is definitely not weak either. Was it worth the rental? I would have to say yes, especially because it is a decent intermediate effort. There is style, flair, and given the right script and budget, I think Mr. Farmer and his crew can eventually produce something truly noteworthy.

With two movies currently listed as in post-production, it'll be interesting to see whether Brian Farmer wastes his impressive directing skills on two more bad screenplays or if he learned anything as a writer since he whipped up Blue Call.

Everything about the production was impressive. The look, the casting, locations, etc. But the script, as almost every review has noted, was a mess. The main character starts off on a sympathetic note, if poorly developed, but halfway through the film becomes less likeable on multiple counts.

Like many indie films these days, the third act is merely a stub. There shouldn't be anything inherently flawed about film stories that are less than the old minimum standard of 85-90 minutes, but the bulk of today's 80 minute wonders seem to be written by folks who never learned the basic three act structure which facilitates adequate character and story development and accommodates a satisfying resolution.

Even worse for Blue Call, writer Farmer took a giant illogical shortcut to his ending, as if he got bored with his story or just couldn't be bothered to properly finish it.

It's worth a watch for the stylish direction, but be forewarned that the ending sucks. And if his new movies have the same problem, that will be truly sad.

This started out with promise but slowly fell into a rut of ridiculous decisions and unlikely scenarios. Our PTSD paramedic becomes an "angel of mercy" and loses her common sense. There are simply better things to watch.

There seems to be a new trend of bad horror movies that go for abstract storytelling without actually saying anything under its supposed cryptic plot. My guess is they want to follow the success of movies like The Babadook, The Witch, The Lighthouse, even, to a lesser extent, the Moorhead-Benson duo. However, you quickly realize the director doesn't have what it takes to carry out the intention. The nightmarish life of paramedics is already an interesting concept for the horror genre, but what we get here is a boring attempt at a morality tale, mixed with Requiem for a Dream-like second part, but without the good acting. The constant nighttime atmosphere is a welcome idea, but that's as far, as it gets. The character's actions make no sense and it's hard to tell what's even happening towards the end. You might as well skip this one and watch Synchronic.